Avis Newell

I first experienced Taiko in the mid 1980’s at a folk festival in Seattle, and loved it so much I kept my eyes open for more. I attended Portland Taiko concerts whenever I could once I moved to Portland. Last summer, my husband and I went to Symphony in the Park, making sure we caught the pre-concert Portland Taiko performance. That’s where we heard about Taiko lessons and we both signed up on the spot! Turns out I love drumming as much as I love listening to it. Last year I retired from work as an environmental scientist, so when I heard of an open board position, I decided to change careers and focus on supporting the arts.